however thus uttered it, we have sufficient evidence in the corresponding word, employed in the rhymes of many an English poet. Our puritan ancestors certainly gave it that sound, for we find by a statute of "the Massachusetts Colony," made in 1647, printed at Cambridge with the other ordinances of the government, under the admirable title of "LAWES AND LIBERTYES," 1660, that Jesuits," men brought up and devoted to the religion and court of Room," or "ordained by the authority of the Pope or See of Rooм," are forbidden to enter this jurisdiction. So that it seems there is good law for the polite pronunciation.

LIGHT OF NATURE.

THERE is sober sense and apt illustration in the following passage of Edward Search: (Abraham Tucker, Esq.) useful to those, who placing virtue with Godwin in "impartial justice," or with Edwards and Hopkins in "love of being" may be liable to overlook the parts in their solicitude for the whole.

"It is necessary however that I should explain in what sense I recommend the pursuit of the general good as the proper end of morality. By this then I understand none other than the greatest good in our power to perform, or that conduct, which, taken in all its consequences, is likely to be the most beneficial of any other. For we can only promote the general good by adding to that of individuals; and it is very rarely that we can be of any signal service to the publick. If we stand still, waiting for opportunities of promoting the good of the whole by some grand stroke of benevolence, we shall pass away life in a dream. Moralists, indeed, continually exhort men to look to distant consequences; but there is moderation in all things; one may stretch one's view too far as well as confine it too near, He that goes along with his eyes fixed on the ground will be liable to miss his way, or run into danger; so we exhort him to look up, that he may see the windings of the path before him and the objects about him; but if he keep gaping at the distant horizon, this will be as bad as to keep poring on the ground. The proper way of judging of our rules of conduct, is by their usefulness; we ought to study the duties of life, lying every day in our way; and make ourselves perfect in the common virtues, before we attempt the shining. This love of the heroical and grand in virtue, of making painful sacrifices, and engaging in lofty enterprizes, is, for the most part, just as absurd

ás if a taylor or shoemaker should live in a boat to inure himself to the hardships of a sea voyage, or lie out whole nights in a ditch, by way of preparing himself for a winter's campaign, to neither of which services he is ever likely to be called."

CRITICKS.

In the year 1546, the council of Trent pronounced the Latin Vulgate to be authentick for a very curious reason; because said the holy fathers, if it were necessary to have recourse to the originals, the grammarians and criticks would become more important persons than the ecclesiasticks.....Criticks certainly ought to give place to those who without or even in defiance of art and rules, perform wonders in literature.....This seems to be the characteristick mark which discriminates the man of genius from the scholar..... Montesquieu, in his Persian letters, speaking of certain brisk, little Frenchmen, who gained a comfortable subsistence by teaching what they did not understand, adds, Il me semble qu'il faut avoir beaucoup d'esprit pour cela. Every smatterer in your trade (says the steward to the cook in Moliere) can send up a good dinner, if he is furnished with materials; but the true spirit and beauty of cookery consists in doing it without them. (L'avare, Act 3. Scene 5.

SELF-COMMAND,

WHETHER the gift of nature, or the fruit of patient discipIt shows a line, is among the best qualities of the best men. spirit always master of itself, the same in misfortune, as in prosperity; and equal to all emergencies and contingencies. It gives a man all his talents at his call, and enables him to deliberate and decide, in moments of peril, on affairs of the utmost magnitude, with the same calmness, as when at ease on quesIt shows itself in moderation after victions of simple interest. tory, as well as in the courage which secures it; in a kind of chivalrous courtesy, which is the opposite of whatever is insolent or oppressive; in a soul that is equally a stranger to fear and reproach; in a noble superiority of mind over body; in a perfect control of the baser appetites; and in following the dictates of religion and honour through all the varieties of condition and circumstance. Who without admiration can read of the self-command of Edward the black prince, of the Chevalier Bayard, and of Sir Philip Sidney? The noble knight last mentioned, at the battle of Zutphen, in 1586, fell into an ambus

cade, where he received a fatal wound in his thigh. Growing thirsty with excessive loss of blood, he called for water which was brought him. But as he was putting it to his mouth, he observed a soldier fixing his eyes upon it with an eagerness of attention, that indicated a similar extremity. Sir Philip, instantly refusing it, gave it to the soldier with these words, "thy necessity is greater than mine." If this act of fortitude and generosity has its superiour, it is found in the behaviour of Epaminodas, who gloriously said, "The event of the day is decided: draw this javelin from my body now, and let me bleed."

ETYMOLOGY.

THE following passage from Dr. Burney's History of Musick is taken from the first chapter of his history of Greek musick; but rather for the sake of the note which is attached to it, than for the passage itself. It may be read with profit, if it be not already familiar, by all those who are fond of constructing theories on fancied analogies and etymologies; whether drawn from the Hebrew and Phenician, or the Tartarian and Indian languages.

"Diodorus Siculus tells us, that, according to the mythology of the Cretans, most of the gods of the Greeks were born upon their island, especially those that have acquired divine honours by the benefits they have conferred on mankind: however, as to the existence of these personages, the whole is doubtful now. New systems of mythology are but a series of new conjectures, as difficult to ascertain and believe as the old legends. And as these legends have been long received by the wisest men, and greatest writers of antiquity, and are at least as probable as the hypotheses of modern mythologists, I shall adhere to them, not only as being more amusing and ingenious than fancied analogies and etymologies drawn from Phenician and Hebrew roots by Bochart, the Abbe de la Pluche and others; but, because the minds of most readers will have accommodated themselves by long habit to classick opinions, imbibed during their tender years of education and credulity."

NOTE. The Bishop of Gloucester has a passage so replete with wit, humour, and satire, that I shall make no apology for inserting it at full length. In speaking of 'Histoire du Ciel by de la Pluche, he asks, "On what, then, is this author's paradox supported? On the common foundation of most modern philologick systems, etymologies; which, like fungous ex

crescences, spring up from old Hebrew roots mythologically cultivated. To be let into this new method of improving barren sense, we are to understand that in the ancient oriental tongues, the few primitive words must bear many different significations; and the numerous derivatives be infinitely equivocal. Hence any thing may be made of Greek proper names, by turning them to oriental sounds, so as to suit every system, past, present, and to come. To render this familiar to the reader, by example, M. Pluche's system is, that the Gentile gods came from agriculture: all he wants, then, is to pick out (consonant to the Greek proper names) Hebrew words which signify a plow, tillage, or ear of corn; and so his business is done. Another comes, let it be Fourmont, and he brings news that the Greek gods were Moses or Abraham, and the same ductile sounds produce from the same primitive words, a chief, a leader, or a true believer, and then, to use his words, Nier qu'il s'agisse ici du seul Abraham, c'est etre aveugle d'esprit et d'un aveuglement irremediable. A third and fourth appear upon the scene, suppose them Le Clerc and Bonier; who, prompted by the learned Bochart, say that the Greek gods were only Phenician voyagers; and then, from the same ready sources flow navigation, ships, and negociators; and when any one is at a loss in this game of crambo, which can never happen but by being duller than ordinary, the kindred dialects of the Chaldee and Arabick lie always ready to make up deficiencies. To give an instance of all this in the case of poor distressed Osiris, whom hostile criticks have driven from his family and friends, and reduced to a mere vagabond upon earth, M. Pluche derives his name from Ochosierets, domaine de la terre; M. Fourmont from Hoscheiri, habitant de Seir, the dwelling of Esau, who is his Osiris. And Vossius from Schicher, or Sior, one of the Scripture names for the Nile. I have heard of an old humourist, and great dealer in etymologies, who boasted that he not only knew whence words came, but whither they were going. And indeed, on any system-maker's telling me his scheme, I will undertake to shew, whither all his old words are going; for in strict propriety of speech, they cannot be said to be coming from, but going to, some old Hebrew root. There are certain follies, of which this seems to be in the number, whose ridicule strikes so strongly, that it is felt even by those who are most subject to commit them. Who that has read M. Huet's Demonstratio Evangelica, would have expected to

see him satirize with so much spirit the very nonsense with which his own learned book abounds? Le veritable usage de laconnoisance des langues etant perdu, l'abus y a succede. On s'en est servi pour etymologiser: on veut trouver dans l'Hebreu et ses dialectes la source de tous les mots, et de toutes les langues, pour barbares et etranges qu'elles puissent etre. Se presente-t-il un nom de quelque roi d'Ecosse, ou de Norvege; on se met aut champs avec ses conjectures ; on en va chercher l'origine dans la Palestine. A-t'-on de la peine a l'y rencontrer? On passe en Babylone. Ne s'y trouve-t-il point ; l'Arabie n'est pas loin et en besoin on pousseroit jusqu' en Ethiopie, plutot que de se trouver court d'etymologies; et l'on bat tant de pays, qu'il est impossible enfin qu'on ne trouve un mot qui ait quelque convenance de lettres et de son avec celui, dont on cherche l'origine. Par cet art on trouve dans l'Hebreu ou ses dialectes, l'origine des noms du roi Artur et de tous les Chevaliers de la table ronde; de Charlemagne et des douze pairs de France; et meme en besoin, de tous les Incas de Perou. Par cet art, un Allemand, que j'ai connu prouvoit que Priam avoit ete le meme qu'Abraham : et Aeneas le meme que Jonas. Lettre au Bochart. Div. Leg. b. 4. sec. 4.

FOR THE ANTHOLOGY.

REMARKS ON ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE ROMAN POETS.

No. 9.

THE difficulty of presenting Lucretius to the English reader in such a dress as to be tolerably engaging, must be manifest from the nature of the subjects, which the poet selected for his work. Having already given a brief analysis of Lucretius de Rerum Natura, I proceed to make some observations on the English versions of the poem.

The first who had the boldness to attempt an entire translation of that author into English verse, was Creech.* After accomplishing, in his own way, an undertaking apparently desperate, he received those poetical addresses of exaggerated praise, which were in his time the common lot of such as proved patient drudges in this species of labour. But his ver

* The first edition was printed in 1682.